Festival’s catfish wrestling brings out the celebrities
By Kent Compton
Gentleman and Mr. Catfish to your corners and “LET’S GET READY TO RUUUMMMBBBLE.”
One of the most fun and best-attended events of the Striped Bass Festival is Celebrity Catfish Wrestling. For the past 13 festivals, the event has been a major crowd pleaser and has featured television and radio celebrities, members of local law enforcement, volunteer firefighters and local dignitaries participating in the wrestling matches.
This year’s celebrities will include some old favorites like Gene Morris with the Department of Natural Resources, Sammy Singletary and of course, the Miss Very Ugly Stripe Bass Queen of many decades ago, also known as Bucky Mock.
Event coordinator Dennis Kropf said in the past there have been two shows but this year there will only be one show at 12:00 p.m. He said the catfish wrestling idea started when he, Donnie Drose, Butch Melton and a few other coffee drinkers wanted to do something to promote striped bass fishing.
” We were sitting around and Donnie and Butch came up with the idea,” Kropf said. “The fishing part of the festival was going by the wayside and Donny said we needed to have someone wrestle a big catfish. The first year we held it we had one set of bleachers and a huge crowd.”
Kropf thought the event was like a flash in a pan and would only last three or four years. Ever since that first show, everything has taken off and succeeded far better than anyone expected. There are now six full sets of bleachers, a P.A. system and a boom truck for the Master of Ceremonies and the judge.
Kropf said the catfish were caught in just the past few weeks and are being well cared for. There are some good size catfish for this year’s match with the biggest one weighing in at 68 pounds. Kropf stressed that the fish are treated “like kings” and are placed back in the lake after the show.
” I help secure the catfish and work with Jim Tuten at Santee-Cooper,” Kropf said. “The catfish are in a holding tank and Jim trains the fish. They’re given oxygen to keep them feisty and are brought in the day of the festival. We have some smaller catfish this year and I think the small one is still a good 30 pounds. Even though we’re only having the one show, the fish will be ready. I just hope the celebrities will be ready for a good match.”
Kropf said it’s always a good time for the celebrities participating and especially the kids watching. He hopes everyone comes out to enjoy the show Saturday at noon.
Wrestling Gear
